Friday, April 13, 2012

Feature of the Day #33: Nicholas Wilson

Greetings!
Today's feature goes to Nicholas Wilson, and his stunning illustrations.
Wilson has been painting, sculpting and printmaking for over 40 years. There are so many astounding works to his name that it would be impossible to touch on them all, so this feature will focus on his etchings currently found in his Etsy store.
One can find Wilson's works in the permanent collections of The Smithsonian Institute, The Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in OK, The Booth Western Art Museum in GA, The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in AZ, and many others. He has also had art in international exhibits such as the London Museum of Natural History, the Scottish Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of Natural Sciences.
Wilson has done commissions for the Lake Geneva Country Club, The Franklin Mint, and the Nevada Fish/Game department, just to name a few. He as also done murals for the Central Park Zoo in New York, New York, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and the New York Zoological Society in the Bronx Zoo in New York. His work has been in publications such as The Best of Wildlife ARt, Arizona Poetry Society, American Artist, March America, Inc. and many, many more.

Wilson has also received the Luminaria Award from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and The Western Watercolor Competition (3rd place) from the Cowboy Hall of Fame. He has also held multiple teaching experiences and various job positions over the years such as field sketching for the naturalist/traveler and staff artist at the Larson Company in Tucson, Arizona.
Yet all of these achievements mean nothing without the art and the man behind it all. Wilson is fascinated by nature and it clearly shows. Wilson says of his work:Ever since I was a child, my focus in my art has been on the textures, colors and designs found in plants and animals. Consequently, I've dedicated over 45 years exploring my interests professionally and have had some fantastic experiences along the way.
This dedication and passion for capturing nature is clear in all of his works from painting to sculpture. Each animal feels alive and ready to walk off the paper at any moment. The textures are spot-on from feathers to fur; captured so exquisitely they boldly proclaim of the care and precision used to render them. Even in Wilson's bird nest etchings, every single twig is placed with care. No short cuts. No cheating. As intricate and carefully made as though crafted by a bird.

Wilson's work also has the wonderful ability to capture the expressions of animals without turning them into an anthropomorphic representation. For example, the look in the bird's eye in Metaphor (above left) captures terror and caution while on the brink of trust and curiosity. You can almost feel the tiny bird's heartbeat fluttering in your hands as it eyes its captor. Or perhaps not a captor, but a savior? The hand lay on the brink of safety net and cage. The bird could fly away, but the hands might close first. A captured moment in time with energy waiting to be released. If we could just see the image a second in the future we could know the full story, but it is not ours to know.
Through his art, Wilson is able to let the viewer catch a glimpse at nature and his passion for it. We are able to share in its beauty for a moment, and perhaps learn to see it in new ways.
To see more of Wilson's works, including his paintings, illustrations, and sculputures make sure to stop by his website: www.nicholaswilsonstudio.com
To see his etching and purchase one, visit his Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/tjstoruga